The Empty Hearse Deleted Scenes
by MWolfL
Summary: A combination of a scene I imagine before seeing The Empty Hearse with a bunch of scenes I thought up after seeing it. My theory as to why John was visiting Sherlock when he was kidnapped along with a scene that possibly could've happened at the end.


A.N. Despite being a SherlockXJohn shipper this story won't have them officially ending up together...but it will kinda tease the idea like the show does. I would have them end up together in this story, but since they won't be together in the next episode I figured it wouldn't work since I wanted this story to be much like a combination of two deleted scenes. And let's face it: if these had been actual deleted scenes John and Sherlock wouldn't have ended up together anyway. Especially since I believe the crew is saving it for a much later season.

It was after Molly had started helping Sherlock with cases and John had mistaken one of his patients for a disguised Sherlock. John had just left work when he got a text. He groaned, hoping it wasn't from Sherlock. Again.

He took out his phone and looked at it. Nope, it was from Mrs. Hudson. He groaned again, already knowing why she had texted him...though was also surprised she had. She rarely texted others before. But then again she probably figured that he might hang up on her if she called him instead. He probably would've too, depending on the subject.

Yup, according to the text he definitely would've:

Sherlock really does miss you dear. Please give him a chance to explain.

Mrs. Hudson

Always polite that Mrs. Hudson. John groaned for the third and massaged his head. Well, since Mrs. Hudson asked politely and since she did say that Sherlock missed him John decided to just get it over with. Who knows, Sherlock probably had missed him. He did once say that he didn't have friends...he just had one friend. Meaning if Sherlock would miss anyone at all it would be that one friend. John.

John took a taxi to 221B Baker Street, Mary having taken their car to get home. During the ride he called her.

"Mary? It's John. Mrs. Hudson texted me and she really wants me to give Sherlock a chance to explain so I decided to just get the bloody thing over with. Anyway, I'll be home a bit later than I expected."

"It's all right. Mrs. Hudson is right after all, Sherlock is your best friend so keeping this grudge of yours will do more harm than good. Do you want me to get dinner ready or will you be a bit longer than that?"

"Nah, better get it ready. I doubt I'll be long."

"Okay dear, bye."

"Bye."

He arrived and unlocked the door, still having keys to the place. Mrs. Hudson had insisted that he keep them in case he ever decided to move back in. Hardly likely, for one thing it would be kinda awkward for him and Mary to live with Sherlock. What was he saying: it would be **very** awkward.

"Oh John, you did come." Mrs. Hudson greeted him at the door, relieved.

"Yes, but only because you asked politely." John sighed. "No need to tell me where he is. I know."

He went upstairs and knocked on the door.

"It's open John."

Blast that man! John opened the door.

"Glad you're here John, Molly is a good assistant but she's not as good as you. Now-"

"Don't." John cut Sherlock off. "Don't even start. Now let's get one thing clear: I am not here willingly, I am only here because Mrs. Hudson politely asked me to give you a chance to explain. So, explain."

"Explain what?" Sherlock was sincerely confused.

"Why you would even attempt to fake your bloody death what do you think?" John snapped. "All I want to know is why you would commit suicide in the first place! Even if it turned out to not actually be suicide."

"John, I'm alive just like you wanted why would you still be upset about all this?" Sherlock was even more confused.

"Because your 'death' broke my heart Sherlock!" John bellowed. "That is NOT something you get over with quickly! Especially if your heart had been broken for two years which mine had! You think just showing up alive without even a scratch is gonna heal it right away? No! It's going to take time for the pain to go away, just like with any wound! No major wound heals in a matter of seconds!"

Sherlock blanched at John's temper, starting to feel bad. He had never meant to hurt John, especially not **that** badly.

John stormed to his old bedroom and slammed the door. Sherlock could hear crying coming from behind the door and he now also started to feel bad for not having told John the reason why he faked his death in the first place. Why hadn't he just said that in the beginning, back when he first appeared to John after two years?

Because, as John would most likely put it, he's a bloody show off who was too proud of how he faked his death to even consider John's feelings.

Sherlock went up to John's old bedroom...he considered knocking first but figured that John would just tell him to piss off. So, he opened the door and went inside. There he found John sitting on the bed still crying.

"John, I am sorry for hurting you. But you wanted an explanation so, whether or not you want to listen to me right now, I'm going to give it to you." Sherlock said calmly. "Moriarty had snipers trained on you, Mrs. Hudson, and Lestrade at the time he confronted me on that roof."

John stopped crying, shocked, and looked up to stare at Sherlock.

"I didn't need to fake my death, I could've just contacted the police and had him arrested." Sherlock continued. "But the snipers...I couldn't let them kill you or Mrs. Hudson or even Lestrade. And the only way I could stop them was to commit suicide, which is what Moriarty wanted. That was also why I gave you that phone call about my being a fraud, he wanted me to do that as well. I told you instead of Lestrade because I knew that you're the only one who would never believe a lie like that. That way I could fulfill Moriarty's terms without actually destroying my reputation. It was also why I faked my death. I didn't want to die, I didn't want to stop solving crimes...or leave you, my best friend. But I had to jump off the roof or else you, Mrs. Hudson, and Lestrade would die instead. So the only other option was to fake my death, which I did. I wanted to contact you not long after my 'funeral', but Mycroft insisted on me laying low for a long time. I probably would still be in hiding if it wasn't for the threat of a terrorist attack becoming critical."

John stared at Sherlock for a few more seconds before suddenly...hugging Sherlock. He hugged him tightly and cried on him. Sherlock felt awkward, not that used to hugs, but he knew John needed the hug right now so he cautiously returned the hug and awkwardly patted him on the back. They stayed like that for a few minutes before John pulled away.

"I...uh...I need some time..." John was still sobbing but also trying to calm down at the same time. "I'll contact you later..."

"Right." Sherlock shrugged as John started to leave. "Later."

After managing to finally calm down, which took quite a while, John had forgiven Sherlock for hurting him with his fake death. After all he had done it to save his life - and Mrs. Hudson's and Lestrade's - and no other reason. So, he went back to 221B Baker Street to let Sherlock know that he had been forgiven...and was kidnapped and hidden under some lumber that was to be used for a bonfire.

Much later on, after thwarting the attempted bombing of Parliament and talking to the reporters about it, John took Sherlock aside back inside the building.

"I, uh, just remembered: I never thanked you for saving my life. And Mrs. Hudson's and Lestrade's." John said awkwardly. "Twice now, actually, in my case. So...thank you."

"Oh it's not necessary...I already took your forgiving me as a thank you as well. For the sniper incident anyway." Sherlock shrugged.

"You bloody stuck up..." John shook his head, stopping himself before he could lose his temper again.

There was a pause.

"You are welcome, of course." Sherlock said. "For saving you from the bonfire I mean. Close call too, almost didn't make it in time."

"Yeah, I know." John said dryly. "So no 'you're welcome' for thanking you for saving me from the sniper? I didn't have to you know, considering how mad I was at you."

"I know...I do appreciate it I just... I'm still not sure if I deserve it after all the pain I put you through."

"Well, the other option would've made me, Mrs. Hudson, and Lestrade dead for real. Your decision allowed us all to live." John shrugged. "I think that is worth a thank you, despite the pain."

"Ah..." Sherlock paused for a moment. "You know you were the only one angry over my return."

"Well the way you returned to me wasn't exactly appropriate. I mean seriously, what you were thinking with that waiter gimmick?"

"I thought making a joke out of it would help lighten the situation." Sherlock shrugged. "And...I couldn't resist."

John rested his head in his hand with exasperation.

"You have a lot to learn about jokes Sherlock. Timing especially." He sighed. "Also Lestrade and Mrs. Hudson probably weren't mad because you don't mean as much to them as you do to me. You really saved my life...and I don't mean just recently or anything."

"Then what do you mean?"

"Back when we first met...you probably noticed that I wasn't exactly the picture of emotional health."

"You had a psychosomatic leg pain and was seeing a therapist about it, of course you weren't."

"Well...I had a gun...for a reason."

Sherlock didn't get it at first...until he combined 'for a reason' with 'not the picture of emotional health'. Then he stared at John.

"You mean you were seriously going to...?" He asked.

"I considered it." John admitted. "Didn't feel as if I had anything to live for. You gave me something to live for."

There was another pause, a pretty awkward one.

"Never meant that much to someone before..." Sherlock admitted.

"You probably do to Mycroft...he just doesn't want to admit it." John offered.

"Possibly, considering he went through the trouble of helping me fake my death. Didn't have to either..." Sherlock couldn't help but agree.

There was another pause.

"You're...you gave me something to live for too." Sherlock confessed.

"Really? What?"

"Friendship."

There was another pause, only this time not awkward. John and Sherlock slowly smiled at each other.


End file.
